Ultrasound imaging systems are a powerful tool for performing real-time imaging procedures in a wide range of medical applications. For example, in intervention procedures (e.g., nerve blocks, vascular access), needles are often used for administration of medicine or evacuation of fluid contents. Using ultrasound guidance while inserting a needle enhances the safety and efficacy of procedures by increasing the accuracy of the needle path to the target site.
To assist ultrasound operators in distinguishing the needle from other imaged tissue, it is helpful to highlight or otherwise enhance the appearance of a needle in an ultrasound image feed. Traditional enhancement techniques may use ultrasound beam steering along with modification of imaging parameters like dynamic range and noise floor to enhance acoustically reflective structures. However, this may result in imaging artifacts since all reflective structures perpendicular to the ultrasound beam are highlighted. Other needle highlighting techniques like magnetic tracking also provide needle trajectory information but such methods rely on additional bulky/cumbersome hardware and specialized equipment.
To truly highlight just the needle itself without the use of additional hardware, an ultrasound system must first identify an imaged needle in an ultrasound image. Some traditional attempts to identify a needle involve using image analysis techniques to identify needle like structures in an ultrasound image. However, such traditional techniques may result in false positives because there may be tissue structures (e.g., bones, blood vessel walls) that also appear like a needle in an ultrasound image.
There is thus a need for improved ultrasound systems and methods that identify an imaged needle in an ultrasound image without the use of additional or specialized equipment. The embodiments discussed herein may address and/or ameliorate at least some of the aforementioned drawbacks identified above. The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings herein.
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